End of Bolt

[Gaybutton]

consequently, on their side they cannot show that the Bolt ride followed its journey and concluded.

That seems like one of the reasons Thailand is cracking down on BOLT. If a driver accepts the ride, he can't just hand it over to a friend who has no connection with BOLT.

[Jun]

That seems like one of the reasons Thailand is cracking down on BOLT. If a driver accepts the ride, he can't just hand it over to a friend who has no connection with BOLT.

TIT !

They should be able to detect some of these.

You book on Bolt.
The GPS on your phone tracks the journey completing as planned.
The only way there would be a corresponding record for the driver would be if he's allowed his friend to log into his Bolt account. Bolt could probably link the app to the phone number, in which case, they should be able to detect all such cases except where both the account and SIM are handed over to the substitute driver.

That's if they wanted to detect it.

[Gaybutton]

They should be able to detect some of these.

Also, as I recall the BOLT app tells you what kind of car to expect and the license plate number. If something other than that shows up, I would reject the ride and report it to BOLT, no matter what kind of bullshit excuse story the driver comes up with - and as you pointed out - if BOLT actually cares. Maybe this is one crackdown that will actually change things. With the government threatening to shut them down, I don't think now they can afford to be shrugging off and ignoring incidents, even minor ones.

[BKKDreamer]

They should be able to detect some of these.

Also, as I recall the BOLT app tells you what kind of car to expect and the license plate number. If something other than that shows up, I would reject the ride and report it to BOLT

These types of substitute driver situations occur (to me) about 1 time out of every 10 to 12 BOLT orders. Yes I should cancel the BOLT order and then order a new one but often I am on my way to a time constrained appointment, so I just go along with their game as I cannot afford (or want to be) late for my appointment.

2 types of events occur:

1.) a car with a different make and/or license plate arrives but the driver has possession of the BOLT app and I can see my order in his app.

2.) a car with a different make and/or license plate (these are usually the white TaxiVIP cars that are popular here in Pattaya) arrives and he does not have possession of the BOLT app on his person. These types of drivers are more aggressive as we need to remember that here in Pattaya they were "King of the Road" (i.e., taxi mafia) before the ride sharing apps became popular. Hence they are more difficult to deal with as they obviously do not like the invention of the ride sharing gig and related money saving technologies.

[Gaybutton]

These types of substitute driver situations occur (to me) about 1 time out of every 10 to 12 BOLT orders.

Wow! That is far too often. That's about 10% of the time. I hope part of whatever BOLT is doing to satisfy the Thai authorities puts a stop to it. Even if circumstances force you to accept the ride, you can still get enough information to report it to BOLT - make and model of the vehicle, color, plate number at the very least.

If you are not afraid of motorbikes, there are still plenty of motorbike taxis in Pattaya that have nothing to do with BOLT. And you can get the telephone numbers of a few motorbike taxi drivers and arrange to have one of them pick you up if you want an alternative to BOLT.

[Gaybutton]

Bolt Strengthens Compliance and Safety Measures, Introduces Driver Facial Recognition, Following Thai Government Concerns

By Adam Judd

May 7, 2026

Bolt Thailand has reaffirmed its commitment to operating fully in accordance with Thai laws and regulations, while working closely with government authorities to continuously raise safety and compliance standards on its platform. This comes after a viral incident prompted Thai government officials to warn that standards must be improved or licenses to operate could possibly be not renewed. Bolt has responded by focusing heavily on safety and compliance, such as introducing facial recognition for drivers to ensure they match their account registration and don’t account share, a top concern.

Thailand remains a key market for Bolt, where the company is focused on supporting the development of a safe, transparent, and properly regulated ride-hailing industry that plays an increasingly important role in the country’s economy and urban transportation system.

Safety remains at the heart of Bolt’s operations. The company continuously reviews and enhances its systems to prevent incidents and minimize risks for both drivers and passengers, while taking swift action when issues arise. In response to recent cases of driver impersonation, Bolt has introduced additional measures to strengthen its existing safety framework:

Enhanced Driver Identity Verification: Bolt has upgraded its system with facial recognition technology to analyze driver selfies, significantly reducing account sharing and impersonation. The frequency of verification checks has also been increased.

Zero-Tolerance Policy: The company has enforced a stricter zero-tolerance approach to account sharing and identity fraud. Drivers found violating these policies face immediate and permanent suspension from the platform with no exceptions. There have been multiple reports of drivers being permanently suspended in the past week for account sharing.

In addition, Bolt is taking proactive steps to help drivers meet regulatory requirements, particularly regarding public driving licenses and proper vehicle registration. The company works closely with Thailand’s Department of Land Transport (DLT) and ran the successful “Booster Week” initiative, which helped more than 40,000 drivers obtain their public driving licenses in 2025. This program has contributed to a notable rise in overall industry compliance.

Bolt will continue developing its platform to enhance safety and will suspend drivers who fail to meet either government or platform requirements. At the same time, the company offers various forms of support to encourage compliance, including:

– Financial incentives for drivers who successfully apply for and upload valid public driving licenses.
– Assistance with vehicle registration to ensure vehicles meet the required categories.
– Streamlined document processes to simplify application and verification procedures.

Bolt recognizes that improving compliance across the ride-hailing industry is a shared objective requiring close cooperation among platforms, regulators, and all stakeholders to achieve effective and sustainable results.

The company is also partnering with industry allies to develop comprehensive solutions that include access to financing, insurance, and vehicle registration support, making it easier for drivers to meet regulatory standards.

Bolt remains firmly committed to its operations in Thailand and to fostering a safe, standardized, regulated, and sustainably growing ride-hailing industry that continues to support the country’s economy and urban mobility.

https://thepattayanews.com/2026/05/07/b ... -concerns/